Nurses in developed countries make a lot of money taking care of people’s elderly parents and grandparents.
However, the work of nursing assistants is not limited to caring for the elderly. Most nursing assistants extend their care to patients on hospital wards. If you are looking for an answer to “how much does a Nursing Assistant make?” This article explores what nursing assistants do, their qualifications, training, salary, and the benefits that come with being a nursing assistant.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- What is a nursing assistant? Nursing Assistant Job Description
- Nursing Assistant Qualifications
- How much does a Nursing Assistant earn in a year?
- Is being a nursing assistant a good career?
- How to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is a nursing assistant? Nursing Assistant Job Description
Nursing assistants are well-trained health professionals who help the frail and elderly perform all necessary daily activities.
Remember that most older people are frail and need special attention to get through the day. Therefore, it is the job of nursing assistants to patiently and compassionately help them with such common things as bathing, going to the bathroom, brushing their teeth, and changing clothes.
Nursing assistants may also help patients or the elderly eat orally, parenterally, or through a nasogastric tube. Nursing assistant responsibilities demand resilience and kindness because they can be laborious and exhausting at times.
Nursing assistants typically work in nursing care facilities (geriatric nursing homes), the family home of elderly people, and hospitals.
In some cases, nursing assistants may be employed by community care centers for the elderly. Similar to registered nurses, nursing assistant duties also include transferring patients from one location to another and assisting in transporting patients from one operating room to another or otherwise to the ICU for recovery.
Nursing assistants can also help doctors in the operating room to sterilize medical equipment and in the wards to take daily records of vital signs, i.e. blood pressure, blood glucose, and body temperature.
They should change patients’ bedding, put on compression stockings and pressure foams for bedridden patients, and make sure they are comfortable. From the description above, it is obvious that nurses and nursing assistants have the same job role.
Nursing Assistant Qualifications
Becoming a nursing assistant is a thing of joy for those who love to help people. Mainly, because the work requires endurance, patience, joy, and love for older adults.
The good thing about this is that you don’t need to complete the normal 4-year bachelor’s degree in nursing from a university. Some technical or vocational schools offer training for nursing assistants.
There are community colleges and even high schools that offer training programs for nursing assistants. Those who have completed their secondary education with a diploma certificate can apply.
The nursing assistant training process is not as rigorous as that of medical or nursing students. Many US states require a nursing assistant to complete a minimum of 12 to 18 hours of in-service health education. Those nursing assistants who are not actively involved in patient care can even start the job while undergoing on-the-job training.
Topic areas often emphasized are infection control, patient sanitation and hygiene, internal transport assistance, moral support, and measurement of vital signs of the patient’s body, such as blood pressure.
In the first few days of enrollment, these new recruits or students will be taught and given the opportunity to practice under clinical supervision.
To ultimately become a Nursing Aide and Nursing Assistant, recruits or students must pass the mock exam to receive the job and be added to that state’s registry as a Nursing Aide/Nursing Assistant (the specific title depends on the facility or nursing care agency).
How much does a Nursing Assistant earn in a year?
A nursing assistant worker earns $47,856 per year in the United States according to Glassdoor, a well-known salary reporting website.
This $47,856 is estimated as the median salary for a nursing assistant in the country. This implies that this figure may represent the average annual salary a nursing assistant receives based on data collected from thousands of such workers. Indeed.com, another similar site, says that a nursing assistant earns an average hourly rate of $16.73 per hour.
Interestingly, both websites report that job satisfaction is high compared to some jobs in various industries within a similar salary range. However, registered nurses outperformed nursing assistants in both median annual salary and job satisfaction.
Nursing assistants receive overtime pay and some other benefits available to those in the healthcare sector. Insurance, 401(k) plans, paid sick leave, and employee assistance programs are just a few of the benefits nursing assistants receive.
Also, there are some cities that pay nursing assistants better than the rest. Cities like Columbus ($31.33) and Cincinnati ($23.13) OH; Indianapolis ($20.04), IN; and New York City (18.26), NY, is among the highest paying cities for nursing assistants in the US, according to Indeed.com.
Is being a nursing assistant a good career?
Do you think you can work as a nursing assistant with a view to making it a long-term career? Or are you just doing it temporarily for a short while? Many nursing assistants fall into the latter category. If you’re in it short-term, you may not fully enjoy the job, as you’ll be tempted to find greener pastures.
Nursing assistants may not earn as much as certified nurses and physicians, but they can get opportunities to advance in full health care practice.
The stress level is medium and the job responsibilities can be a bit strange. But becoming a nursing assistant is still a blessing, especially if you’re working in this job as a middle-aged person nearing retirement since you can still work well into your 60s as a nursing assistant.
This career can become long-term in that situation and the job satisfaction of caring for mature seniors will be great.
However, the best decision you can make is to become a Certified Nursing Assistant. That way, you’ll be in a better position to get a raise and more opportunities to advance your career.
How to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
While the role of a CNA can be very similar to that of a nursing assistant, some prefer to become the former for obvious reasons. In some facilities, a nursing assistant may be allowed to take the name of nursing assistant or patient care assistant.
However, there are some perks that come with becoming a certified nursing assistant. You will be preferred as a Nursing Assistant during the hiring process.
Additionally, CNAs will be quickly accepted into a nursing program, making their transition to becoming well-rounded nurses possible.
It’s like the difference between a registered and licensed technician at a company and one who just learned the skills at a vocational center or from someone else. In order to become a CNA, you must first have your high school diploma or GED.
If you have already obtained one, proceed to complete a state-approved CNA Training Program where you will be put through in-person clinical training.
You will learn all the medical terminologies necessary to fulfill your nursing duties. Things like basic anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology. But the emphasis will be on achieving clinical skills such as dressing wounds, assisting in medical and surgical emergencies, setting up IV lines, and collecting patient samples for laboratory tests.
At the end of your CNA training, you will be required to write a state-approved CNA certification exam that you must pass before becoming certified as a CNA.
Never forget that it’s not just the hard skills that matter, but the soft skills of being compassionate, patient, and persevering that will count in your training.
Conclusion
Answer “how much does a nursing assistant earn?” it is quite complicated. Because they have different ways to get more income.
The amount a nursing assistant earns annually depends on her strength and the number of jobs she decides to take on. Read this article to get clarity on how to improve your earnings as a nursing assistant.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can a CNA earn per hour in 2022?
Indeed.com reports that Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) earn $15.35 per hour, which works out to an average annual salary of $34,670. Other job salary review websites (eg, salary.com, payscale.com, recruiter zip) report figures similar to Indeed’s.
Where can a nursing assistant earn more?
Ohio and New York are two of the highest paying states in the US for nursing assistants and general nursing assistants. one can aspire to work in those states or work overtime in their locality to earn more.
How long is the nursing assistant course?
Most nursing assistant training courses last at least 12 hours in total to get all the necessary information. but depending on the health service providers that train you and the specialty area in which you will work, your course can reach 28 hours.
What is Nursing Assistant Training?
A nursing assistant training is a specialized vocational course that guides you through how to perform your job duties and responsibilities as a nursing assistant or nursing assistant. You can visit the site below for more information https://pmi.edu/programs/certificate/nursing-assistant-nurse-aide.
Do I need a degree to become a CNA?
The good thing about this is that you don’t need to complete the normal 4-year bachelor’s degree in nursing from a university. Some technical or vocational schools offer training for nursing assistants. There are community colleges and even high schools that offer training programs for nursing assistants. Those who have completed their secondary education with a diploma certificate can apply.
Is there a program for Medical Laboratory Techniques or not.